During one of our strenuous days in Ella the idea of an overnight stop in Yala National Park came up. The five of us (Sarah, Roly, Emma, Scott and I) decided to hire a car to drop us in Tissa so that we could do a morning safari the following day before going our separate ways. The drive form Ella to Tissa was, in typical Sri Lankan style, absolutely gorgeous; rolling hills, deep valleys, jungle, waterfalls and rice paddies. On arrival in Tissa we checked into the hotel and began the hard task of bargaining about the price of a 5am - 12pm safari in Yala National Park with the hotel owner. His initial price was about 4500rupees per person; far higher than the price that was suggested in Lonely Planet. Throughout the bargaining process we
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